8 Bit Central - Retro Gaming Blog

My son & his friends will be gaming for 24-hours in support of Children's National. Please donate and help out!

My son and a group of his friends wanted to "give back" this holiday season and chose to do a 24-hour gaming marathon to help support Children's National. On January 13th they will begin playing through their favorite Wii U games, mobile games, and a few cherished board games.

If you can help out with a donation to Team H2woke, it's much appreciated! For me, it's also nice to see a group of kids banding together and discovering they can make a difference. The whole team gets excited each time a new donation is made and this fuels their commitment to their first marathon for Children's National!

Merry Christmas to all our retro gaming friends and followers!

Let us know what amazing gaming gear you received this year!

Player 2 is visiting for Christmas, so the site will be quiet until January

We hope everyone has a great holiday and can take some time off to enjoy family and friends... and video games. We have a stash of retro and modern titles yet to be played. I grew up in an era when game consoles were a common Christmas gift, so the holidays are always a good time to immerse in video games :)

As always, we encourage you to share your favorite retro games with someone who still thinks gaming began with Xbox. Show them a whole world of amazing pixelated games and the rampant fun they provide!

Can we adequately fight for #NetNeutrality when we can't even spell it?

It seems clear that Big Business and the billionaires who strive to garner every available penny are in charge and they will conquer the world at the expense of everyone and everything else. They don't care about humanity. Our country is ruled by the greed Gordon Gekko spoke of, but it only works for a precious few.

As the middle class crumbles, remember the lies. Those in power will say anything and do anything to steal from you - be it money or quality of life. Pay attention and make your own decisions. Never let anyone else dictate what's right for you!

Despite the deck being stacked against the 99%, don't stop fighting... and please spell things correctly.

With little explanation (or surprise), Atari delayed today's Ataribox launch on Indiegogo

I was eager to dig into Atari's Indiegogo campaign today, seeking more info about their mystery box they say has been years in the making. Alas, a morning email (see below) announced a delay in today's scheduled launch on crowd funding platform, Indiegogo.

With no mention of time frame - only saying the launch was delayed - I feel this is not a brief delay. I don't think it will launch tomorrow, next week, or next month. The tone and wording left me feeling the console may be months away. Their use of the phrase "updated launch plan" also bodes poorly for a timely rescheduling. This is pure speculation on my part and hopefully Atari will provide better information, but I'm not holding my breathe on this one.

Atari sent the following email to their Ataribox subscriber list this morning:

Information has been minimal to the point of frustration, so this delay seems inline with the way this whole scenario has unfolded. The holidays are a notorious time for crowd-funding failures. Folks have spent their discretionary funds long ago with the holidays in full swing. Atari may be taking this into consideration, or this may be a hidden blessing for them to delay beyond the holiday season.

I'm dying to see Ready Player One on the big screen even if the Internet thinks Wade's leg is too long

I have high hopes fr this film. I loved the book and have read it twice. As a kid of the 80s, the references alone make it a fun read. The story really pulled me in and wraps itself around so many things that resonate with me.

If ever there was a film I hope gets a lot of merchandising, it's Ready Player One. I can envision so many great possibilities. And there has to be a video game tie-in, right?

Please tell me there will be an insanely awesome game based on Wade and the OASIS. With Wil Wheaton reading the audio book, how can there not be some great merch options in the mix?

The Retro Fighters Next Gen N64 Controller is coming up for pre-order

I definitely want at least two of these N64 controllers! Having seen the control options afforded on their recent NES controller, it makes me want to get my hands on the Retro Fighters N64 controller. If you missed out on their Kickstarter campaign, they are offering pre-orders for this controller on the Retro Fighters website.

With sparse details surrounding their new console, Atari expects us to crowd-fund the Ataribox?

Atari's new video game console, Ataribox, will be available for pre-order (by throwing money at a crowd funding campaign) on December 14th. I love Atari. I grew up with their games and consoles. Today, I'm angry and frustrated!

By jumping on the excitement around the E3 convention this past Spring, Atari surprised us all by announcing their new video game console. They had nothing to show, virtually no details, but told us to hang in there (and fork over an email address) to be among the first to know.

Over the past several months they tried to drum up excitement by teasing vague elements of this new console. Many Atari fans seem to forget, the company we grew up adoring is long gone. In it's place is a holding company who owns the rights to all the ionic IPs. After seeing some of their questionable licensing deals leveraging the "Atari" brand, it's hard to envision a successful console launch.

Today, Atari has released the date on which the Ataribox will be available for crowd-funding via Indiegogo - Dec. 14th. With a previously mentioned price point of $300 - are you ready to put your money behind this console?

I'm not.

Atari says it will play old games and modern games.
• Which old games?
• Old Atari games?
• 2600, 5200, and 7800 games?
• Jaguar games?
• Lynx?
• Which developers will be releasing modern games?
• Where can we view play throughs of some of the Ataribox games?
• How many new games are ready to be released with the Ataribox launch?

There are also a lot of proof-of-concept hardware questions requiring answers before we even think about what games can be played. So far we have seen renders/images of this console and a very 1970's style joystick.
• Is there a working Ataribox prototype?
• Will the final controller only have a single joystick and one button?

From my perspective, Atari needs to offer up a lot more information - not on an indiegogo campaign page - as to this console's capability. At this time I'm assuming it's a generic emulation box that will have enough storage space for all the pirated illegal Atari ROMs that are so much fun to play. Perhaps some of their more recent gaming endeavors will wind up on this contraption. Who knows?

Come on, Atari... What is this thing!?! And does it come with a free Atari Hat?

Capcom's 12-game compilation of Street Fighter games is coming in May 2018

The Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection will be available on Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. In addition to releasing these games, SFII, SFII Turbo, Alpha 3 and 3rd Strike will feature online multiplayer capability.

The 12 games included on Capcom's Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection:

1. Street Fighter
2. Street Fighter 2
3. Street Fighter 2: Champion Edition
4. Street Fighter 2: Hyper Fighting
5. Super Street Fighter 2
6. Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo
7. Street Fighter Alpha
8. Street Fighter Alpha 2
9. Street Fighter Alpha 3
10. Street Fighter 3
11. Street Fighter 3: 2nd Impact
12. Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike

After a 30 year hiatus, M.U.L.E. has returned to iOS and Android devices

My son loves to play M.U.L.E. on our NES. As an avid fan of space shooters, I lack the patience for this level of resource management, but enjoy watching him manage the environment and Multiple Use Labor Element. As multiplayer games go, it's pretty cool and lets players collude off-screen to cause artificial shortages and conditions that effect other players. I like that type of dynamic.

I'll have to fire up my NES copy again and delve into it. While never becoming a runaway hit, M.U.L.E. garnered a decent cult following and is regarded as one of the most influential games of it's time. I came out originally in 1983 for computers of that era.

It would be fun to play Mule Returns on a modern platform. I'd love to see it come back to game consoles... perhaps a Switch release?


The original game was create by Dan Bunten (later Danielle Bunten) who was creating games years ahead of their time. She was a big proponent of multiplayer games. She felt it was important to bring people together rather than letting them become fixated on their computer. We could use more of that spirit in today's world of gaming. I'll always rather have my opponents on my couch than online. Get social!! :)

We jumped on the "2017 Best Nine On Instagram" bandwagon #2017bestnine

We let the Best Nine site chug along for a few minutes and spit back an infographic of our top nine posts to Instagram in2017. Drop by our IG and check out our retro gaming pics on 8-Bit Central's Instagram!

Touting a 2017 release, I'm beginning to doubt a Tempest 4000 arrival this Christmas

It's been a few months since I've seen any articles or info about Minter's upcoming Tempest 4000 video game. It's been reported as a PC, PS4, and Xbox One release. Might it come to Nintendo's Switch?? Will it actually appear before 2018 rolls in? Dare I ask about a physical game release? Lots of questions. Few answers.

I don't have my hopes up for an imminent release simply due to the lack of news about it. Push Square reported the game had received a PEGI rating, suggesting it's close to release. I'm not seeing other sites running with this or offering any other supporting information. Time will tell, but we hope they're right :)

After playing Tempest in the arcades, Minter's Tempest 2000 game for Atari's Jaguar, fueled my love for this title's ongoing legacy. I hope Atari is done screwing around and realize how much they need Minter and the kind of game he can deliver, thus putting the Atari name back on the map in a way the current holding company has not been able to do. Keep an eye out for Tempest 4K, it'll be insanely awesome when it releases!

Become a horror heavyweight champ in Creepy Brawlers, an underworld championship for your NES

Mega Cat Studios created Creepy Brawlers to bring an underworld feel to the excitement of Punchout style games. Released on an actual NES cartridge, no need for emulators, but you will need your NES!

This retro fighting game pits you agains eleven monsters including the wolfman, backwoods psycho, and a very slick vampire - all inspired by classic horror stories. There are four arenas,including a Monster Movie Mansion and top secret Laboratory 52. It features evolving monster opponents and has unlockable achievements.

The game's chiptune soundtrack includes music by Danimal Cannon and Mitch Foste. It's available on a separate NES cartridge, Creeping It Reel, which includes the legendary Dancing Pumpkin Man and a Trick-or-Treat pachinko minigame.

Check out Creepy Brawlers for a new NES experience with a fighting familiarity.

That time you streamed Chariots Of Fire by pretending you were playing Activision's Decathlon

I love this story. A guy almost got away with streaming a UFC pay-per-view fight by pretending he was streaming a video game. As the fight was streamed on Twitch, he held a controller giving the impression he was playing a video game!

Of course there must have been a level or realism, beyond the average video game's capability. None the less, this guy is pretty clever - very imaginative.

The Nintendo Holiday Experience is going strong until December 17th

Nintendo is hitting the road this holiday season, bringing demos of the latest games for you to try out in person. Check out the list for the area nearest you. If you're near any of these locations, go check out the Nintendo Holiday Experience!

On December 4, 1975 KISS Alive! was certified gold by the RIAA

KISS Alive! was #KISS' first gold album and went onto to reach multi-platinum status. This was one of the first albums I ever bought and I was astounded by the idea of a live album.

As a kid, all of my musical exposure had been from the radio and I knew nothing about the music industry. I had no clue about bands and how they worked with album releases, touring and so forth. The live images in this album captivated me. I became obsessed with Kiss with an abnormal sense of loyalty. It would be several years before I bought an album by any other band. I still love what they do to this very day!

With hand-drawn style and 2.5D perspective, Capcom announces Mega Man 11 for late 2018 release

From the original NES game to the recent Legacy Collections, we love Mega Man. I'm not sure what to make of #11's announcement being a year away. I don't want to wait - especially with this new hand-drawn style they're touting. I'm sure more info will dribble out as E3 approaches next year. Until then, I'm all over the Legacy Collection games!

We weigh in on the debate about “Die Hard” being classified as a Christmas Movie

I love Die Hard and even liked DH2. The other sequels have melded into on big action flick muddled in my mind. One day I'll have to catch up with some of the later films. But, for now, it's Christmas time again and Die Hard is definitely in rotation as we long for another romp around Nakatomi Plaza. Along the way we'll also mix in A Christmas Story and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

As for it's classification, I've never considered Die Hard a "Christmas movie". We call it a holiday tradition. I can't imagine the Christmas holiday with out it, but the "Xmas" classification belongs to films whose plot relies on the holiday, rather than just a setting. Hans' robbery plan could have taken place any other time of year.

We adore Die Hard and we include it with Christmas, but we do so out of tradition, not an inherent Christmas spirit.

However you view Die Hard, we hope you keep John & Holly in your thoughts and put this film in your Christmas rotation. Above all else, crank it up when Argyle puts on RUN DMC's "Christmas in Hollis"!

The Eagles Hotel California 40th anniversary release made me realize I'd never bought the original album

I have detailed lists of my DVDs and video games... looks like it's time to do the same for my CDs and Vinyl! There have been a few "anniversary" CDs released that caused me to realize I never bought the original - tragic!

Happy Birthday Billy Idol!

From last year's (2016) iHeart Radio Music Festival in Las Vegas.

My local mall arcade installed World's Largest Pac-Man and Space Invaders Frenzy. So stoked!

With aging anchor stores and a flighty stores, our local mall really needs an update. They have a 12 theater cinema and now the local arcade is expanding by adding a bowling alley, laser tag, and a bar/restaurant. Destination places are what draw crowds. give people an experience worth going out for.

We can buy nearly everything online, so mall stores have a tough time. The arcade expansion is going to be very cool and they're off to a great start with these two large gaming additions.

Back in '90 I loved MC Hammer and today I'm a fan of 3M products

When "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em" came out, I couldn't get enough of it. Rap was changing. I'd always loved the gangster rap from NWA, Ghetto Boys, Public Enemy, RUN DMC, etc... the list goes on. But MC Hammer had more of a beat - sort of a hybrid rapper to my unknowing rock n roll ears. But I adored those beats.

Those "Where Are They Now" shows often surprise me. However, I wasn't prepared to see MC Hammer on a box of 3M wall fasteners. I'm sure it's a lucrative gig, but it makes me think there's a car wash manager somewhere yelling at Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus for being late for work. Your remember Milli Vanilli, right? :)

Ernest Cline's “Ready Player One” is the kind of book you'll want to read again.

Laden with all sorts of 80s pop culture, Ready Player One really resounded with me. Unfolding in the not so distant future, Cline's 2012 novel introduces us to Wade Watts - a kid living in a bleak reality masked by an amazing Virtual Reality world. The Oasis. I love this book and I think you may as well. Give it a read!


Ready Player One synopsis:
In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confinespuzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.

But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to winand confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

Download this fast fun Atari 2600 homebrew game, Sand Castles

Created by Brian Shea. Sand Castles is a lot of fun and I highly suggest you download the ROM from Atariage. It works with Stella and Harmony carts. Give it a play!

From the Sand Castles manual: (yes, it has a really cool manual you can download)

Cosplayer Ryuu Lavitz creates phenomenal costumes and elaborate props

I don't believe she has her own website, but you can find Ryuu Lavitz on Facebook as well as her other social networks.

Rumors suggest Nintendo is heading to the cereal aisle with Mario and an NFC chip

I still love character themed cereal. The kid in me still looks longingly at Fruity Pebbles with all that Flintstone goodness and Hanna-Barbera madness! Although the prizes in the boxes were much better when I was a kid. These days you're more apt to get a download code or QR code printed on the box.

Reported by Nintendo Life via Cerealously, Nintendo is rumored to be bringing a Mario cereal to market with more than just oats and marshmallows. Limited editions of the cereal will feature an NFC chip allowing it to interact with Super Mario Odyssey the same way an amiibo does. I'm unclear if this is some sort of included sticker or if the box is a giant amiibo. Either way... fun!

I dig the amiibo functionality of the limited edition boxes - that's a slick idea. Far better than the meager "prizes" is see adorning cereal boxes as I trudge down the aisle for a healthy (so they say) box of Cheerios. Of course Nintendo's idea of "limited" may be different than the average consumer. No idea how plentiful the Limited Edition packaging may be. If I were to guess... I'd say very limited.

Keep an eye out in the cereal aisle beginning on December 11th!

When you make $22 million in a single year, you can play Defender with Jimmy too

Catch Hey Violet on Nickelodeon's HALO Awards show

If you're tired of random celebrities getting record deals because they have millions of Instagram followers, you may be looking for a real band. Enter... Hey Violet.

I discovered them while clicking around Twitter and bought their EP from iTunes the same day. To put that in perspective - Hey Violet's EP was only the second purchase I've ever made from iTunes. I was that excited about this band!

They have a full length LP out now called, "From The Outside". They seem like a really cool group and they are blowing up fast. I hope they stay the course and keep create amazing music. Check out Hey Violet!

Toys R Us sent an alert about restocking the SNES Classic Edition

If you didn't get an SNES Classic Edition and want one for Christmas, Toys R Us sent out an email that they'll have a fresh supply for Monday morning. They suggest getting there early. Sounds like they may not have too many units this time.

I stayed home during all the Black Friday nonsense. I'm sure there were plenty of deals to be had, but I greatly enjoyed 4 days off to lounge around. Although I would have liked to snag that slick green Zelda 2DS...

I have total respect for arcades dedicating floor space to Bubble Hockey!

As arcades have transitioned to brightly lit entertainment destinations relying heavily on redemption machines, I praise those who have a few retro cabinets off in a corner. But once you shed the bright lights and sounds, what's left?

With the dominance of huge LED screens and lavish cabinets - like Space Invaders Frenzy - can a simple fun game survive? Air Hockey is one of the few staples of many arcades that hasn't succumbed to tremendous light displays. But there's another amazing game that defies modern flash and delivers a great experience - Super Chexx Bubble Hockey!

With manual throw-rods that twist and move the encapsulated players up and down the ice - it's a remarkable find in any arcade. If you're lucky enough to find one, stop and revel in it's awesomeness. It's well worth a few games!

I know of three Super Chexx Bubble Hockey games in my local area, which is an amazing number considering I'm pretty far from the thriving metropolis. My son and I play Bubble Hockey (which is second only to Air Hockey) every chance we get. Bring Player-2 along, because there's no single player mode.

Super Chexx Bubble Hockey is a true gem. It defies the arcade standard of nearly any era, but delivers an amazing experience that is so different from video games and pinball, but coexists beautifully with both. Never pass up a game of Bubble Hockey - you'll thank me later :)

This Jeweler has diamonds for her and an Xbox One S for you on Black Friday

As Black Friday deals come and go, how many have offered you a new Xbox while you shop for her? Personally, I'd rather have an Analogue Super Nt, but you can't please everyone :)

Thor: Ragnarok's inclusion of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song leads to a big jump in MP3 sales

Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" is seeing a sales boost, thanks to the new Thor movie. Billboard reports 18,000 downloads of the song were sold in the week after Thor: Ragnorak opened two weeks ago. This is compared to the previous week's sales of about 2,000.

The song is featured in both the movie and the movie's trailer that came out in April - when it sold 7,000 copies that week. It originally appeared on Led Zeppelin III, released in 1970.

For me, it was a reminder of what a powerful song it is. But I'm shocked at how many people have said it's the first time they've heard it. Admittedly, it's from the early 70s which is an whole other era for many people today, but Led Zeppelin is still in rotation on classic rock stations. But I suppose that presumes terrestrial radio is still relevant.

The Music Industry Is Full Of Solo Singers

Shows like The Voice and American Idol produce singers. Top performers are mostly solo acts with anonymous backing bands. Long gone are the days of "starting up a band" out of sheer love of music. Today's music heroes don't even play instruments. The concept of being a "rock star" seems all but forgotten. Having a large Instagram following seems more important.

Ill admit I like Britney Spears and Taylor Swift, but my world doesn't come together without Aerosmith, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Kiss, Quiet Riot, Cheap Trick... The list is endless, but I grew up with bands - real bands. Folks playing instruments and creating songs that spoke volumes to their fans. We need fewer greedy producers fabricating bands for profit. That's not how the arts work.

Share Your Passions So Future Generations Don't Listen To Shitty Music

When I hear someone who's never heard the Immigrant Song, my first reaction is a mix of anger and sadness. When my son became interested in video games with played Donkey Kong Country on the Wii AND we played the original Donkey Kong on my Atari 2600, Colecovision, and NES. As we moved on to the Wii U and PS3, we also discovered games like Food Fight, River Raid and Spider Fighter to indulge our 8-bit passion.

There's a history of video games that's really important and we have a great time exploring it alongside modern games. Music should be the same. I've introduced my son to a slew of bands I grew up with and he came back asking if I knew AC/DC - a band he likes. After watching Thor, we came home and threw on some Led Zep. History should be lived, not read about - especially when it comes to the arts.

I picked up a pair of Bitt Boy handhelds for my son and I for Xmas

I'm hoping this will make a cool stocking-stuffer this year. After playing with AtGames' Flashback Portable I'm hoping the Bitt Boy will be a similar experience on the Nintendo NES era of gaming.

AFter watching a few videos, it's hard to really evaluate this device. Some claim the ROMs are illegal or hacked while others dote over the 2.2" IPS screen's clarity. It's compact, contains 300 built-in games, and looks like a slick way to bring games on-the-go with even less bulk than my trusty 2DS - which goes everywhere with me.

The Bitt Boy seems to include quite a few classic NES games, arcade ports, and some Famicom titles. I'm sure there's a fair amount of random filer titles, but overall it seems to contain enough to justify a try.

It's rechargeable battery uses micro USB and it can output to TVs (as long as your TV has a descent upscale ability). I"m seeing a lot of Gameboy-like devices of varying capabilities - I hope I've chosen wisely :)

McDonald's Twitter was on the cusp of viral insanity... until they forgot about the content

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love the visual of Ataribox's single-button joystick, but how will Atari handle modern games?

I love the look of the joystick revealed today by Atari as the controller for their upcoming Ataribox video game console. It's a beautiful tribute to the Atari 2600 joystick. If this slick controller had a 9-pin connector for my aging Atari VCS, I'd be all over it in a heartbeat!

However, in the scope of Atari's upcoming Ataribox game console, can a single button joystick handle the "modern" games Atari claims it will play?

Atari's main claim to fame is it's vast library of IPs. They've used a licensing agreement with AtGames for many years to supply those retro titles, from the 2600 era, in a legal format. While the AtGames Flashback consoles have had their share of issues, $50 for ~100 games is a pretty good deal. Factor in the ease of it's plug & play interface and its hard to pass up.

More Than A Flashback?

The Flashback consoles will certainly give your feelings of nostalgia a happy jolt, but their product is for casual gamers. If you adore the Atari games you played in the 80s, you'll be much happier with an original 2600 and a pile of game carts. Each scenario has it's merits. I have several Flashback consoles and enjoy them a lot. I also like to pop a cart into my old VCS.

Modern Games Require Modern Controller Options

This modern single-stick single-button joystick looks very promising for Atari's vast library of 8-bit games. However, for the Ataribox to succeed, it has to do a lot more than a $50 Flashback micro-console. Ataribox is touted as a modern game console, capable of playing both original and existing modern games. Gamers have been accustomed to dual-stick controllers since the PS2 with a wide array of buttons both on the face and shoulders of modern controllers.

I hope Atari is debuting this gorgeous controller for it's retro base and will later show us an alternate modern controller to handle today's gaming demands. Info has been very slow to come to light, so we want to believe that Atari has a moe PlayStation-like controller waiting in the wings. At the very least, the Ataribox needs to be able to wirelessly connect so existing controllers. Time will tell.

Check out our video about the Ataribox Joystick.

iam8bit has soundtracks on vinyl from three of Rare's video games, including Battletoads

From iam8bit:

Axiom Verge has been in the Switch e-shop for a while, but I'm excited about tomorrow's physical release

I was excited when I discovered Axiom Verge was coming to Nintendo's Switch and even more so when I heard about the physical release. Tomorrow the physical release will be available at all the usual places.

Downloading games seems convenient, and to a degree it is, but when something goes wrong - all those downloads are trapped on your hardware. If I drop my Switch, I don't have to worry about being able to recover my games - they're all in their game cases.

How about playing somewhere else on someone else's Switch? Just get out the game cart and pop it in. I love physical media! Some see it as a a dictated way to play, but it represents ownership and flexibility. Long live game carts!

And go snag a physical copy of Axiom Verge!

Before touting your “ugly Christmas Sweater” please realize a sweatshirt is NOT a sweater

As a kid, I got at least one sweater for Christmas. With crazy patterns, they really stood out. Sometimes they were knitted by a relative - a labor of love - other times purchased in a store. As a kid I knew what a sweater was. Today's kids don't seem to understand that a sweater is not the same as a sweatshirt.

If you show up at your friend's Ugly Christmas Sweater party and you're wearing a screen-printed sweat shirt, you're doing it wrong. I don't want to get into any idiotic disputes over the validity of a sweatshirt masquerading as a sweater, but I come from an era where Christmas sweaters were an established thing. The notion of an "ugly" Christmas sweater began with adherence to a woven garment. The ugliness came from extreme adornments to the traditional knitted sweater.

I get a chuckle out of the various Rick and Morty Christmas Sweaters - I might even buy one - but I know what a sweater is. Sure the economics of producing an actual woven sweater with some pop culture character on it is prohibitively expensive compared to a screen printed sweatshirt, but a sweatshirt is not a sweater. You wouldn't wear a sweater to the gym, right?

So, before dashing off wearing your most hideous sweater, verify that you at least comprehend the difference between a sweater and a sweatshirt. Thanks.

Victoria Justice is a Guitar Hero shredder

Activision's Call of Duty: WWII offers 15 built-in playable retro games

Retro gaming is everywhere! You'll even find it hiding inside one of the more prominent FPS games of our modern gaming era. Within the game, if you venture to The Headquarters - a virtual social hub - there is an R & R area where you can rest and relax with some of your favorite Activision games from gaming's early days.

During routing COD game play, you can earn armory credits that let you unlock these retro games. Each title has been re-worked to operate with your console's controller. Not everyone gets it, as pointed out in a Kotaku post in which they showcase some YouTuber reactions to these games.

I guess everyone can't be expected to appreciate the retro goodness of COD's R&R area, but playing Pitfall II on a PS4 is a pretty cool option!

The list of games includes: Barnstorming, Boxing, Chopper Command, Cosmic Commuter, Demon Attack, Enduro, Fishing Derby, Grand Prix, Kaboom!, Pitfall II, Private Eye, River Raid, Seaquest, Skiing, and Spider Fighter.

Atari's Speaker-Hats are on sale for $99

Atari released their Speaker Hat to coincide with their inclusion in the recent Blade Runner movie. I don't see the need for this product, but I'd love a plain Atari logo hat or shirt. Alas, the Atari Life website doesn't offer such luxuries, just hats with built-in speakers. On sale now if you need a speaker hat.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were released today

As with the Metroid Samus Returns release, it's great to have another major release worthy of firing up the 3DS! I think Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will wind up "under the tree" this holiday.

Lamborghini has proven it is good to be the Pope

I guess when you're the Pope you have to keep your moral standards pretty high. Most of us are not likely to be given such a lavish gift, but if the scenario came to fruition, I'd be inclined to take it for a spin before the auction. The Pope really needs to give tat car a run around Vatican City.

Lamborghini execs presented the pontiff with the sports car, which comes with papal yellow-gold detailing and a top speed of about 201 mph.

Midway's 1986 arcade game Rampage is coming to the big screen via a movie starring Dwayne Johnson

Rampage was the ultimate co-op game you and a buddy could team up or attack each other - much like in Joust - except Rampage had a third-player option. Just when you and your buddy teamed up to destroy the city, a stranger drops a coin and suddenly everyone is under attack. The play dynamic is awesome!

When Adam Sandler convinced Hollywood to turn 80s video games into a movie full of characters attacking Earth (and Kevin James is the President) many retro gamers had doubts. I liked Pixels, but can an individual game come to the big screen? Can Dwayne Johnson battle George, Lizzie, and Ralph in a compelling cinematic extravaganza?

I didn't expect to like Pixels. I wanted to hate it, but I love the Wizard, so who knows... I'll give rampage a chance in theaters. It's just 2 hours of my life and if it sucks, I can go home and play rampage for the rest of the day! I'm hoping it's good!

I have a hard time believing the hardcore drug in Archie's Riverdale is called Jingle Jangle

I love the dark twisted ways Riverdale unfolds on screen each week. A far cry from the wholesome humor of my childhood, this version is dark and dangerous in ways that really excite me about the current story line.

In Riverdale's upside down world, the street drug infesting the local high school is called Jingle Jangle. This frivolous name rolls off their tongues in the harshest of situations with nary a smirk or grin. I'd loose it if I had to use the term "Jingle Jangle" in a serious manner. Great show - full of surprises!

Retro-Bit's multigame collections for NES & SNES offer licensed games from Data East & Jaleco

I've always loved compilation games. I first got into this genre when the original PlayStation came to market. Amazing compilations came to market filled with my favorite console and arcade games. For me, the PSone releases were the first I discovered that had true versions of my arcade faves.

The compilation notion has lessened over the years. Perennial contender, Namco Museum seemed to go on hiatus until the recent download for Nintendo's Switch. However, if you look deep enough you can still find a few of these gems. Take Retro Bits Data East and Jaleco releases for NES and SNES. Now available for pre-order, you can order Retro-Bits's Multi Carts on Amazon for December release.

GameShell is an upcoming portable LINUX game console for playing & developing retro games

Just beginning it's fight to succeed on Kickstarter, GameShell is nearly funded already! I like the concept of this little device with it's Game Boy style and capability. But it goes much farther than simply playing a slew of old games. It supports emulators, including Retro Arch, and plays games from Atari, GB, GBA, NES, SNES, and more.

Some have noted the limitation of only having four buttons when it will play 16-bit games often requiring additional inputs. Two additional buttons would be nice to have.

I'm a gamer and like that aspect, but the development side is always appealing when combined within the same device. It supports programming languages like preset C, Python, LUA, and LISP. You will be able to modify games and even create new ones. The console becomes a testing box for code easily installed via the GameShell's wifi.

Check out GameShell's ClockworkPi website for more info and links to their social media. I'm excited to see how this project grows. Don't underestimate it's small size, this looks like a versatile fun console.

I highly doubt Pickle Rick would give a damn about National Pickle Day

I'm not a huge fan of pickles. They're are the first thing I pull out of any fast food burger. They have their place, but not in my burger. I'm down with Pickle Rick, but I'm not sure that counts on National Pickle Day. Well, enjoy the day and your pickles...

Kendall Jenner with a cool video camera and clasic car

Are Geoffrey Funko figure sales fueled by nostalgia or the Toys R Us bankruptcy?

I grew up buying G.I. Joe figures and playsets at Toys R Us. A visit to Toys R Us was a momentous event when I was a kid. Having resisted most urges to "grow up", I still love that store and my son and I frequently prowl the aisles for our favorite things.

I'm a huge fan of collecting stuff, but most of the various vinyl figures look the same to me. I don't see enough individuality between all these figures to find them interesting. I love action figures of all sorts - from GI Joe to superheroes - but they are highly individual.

The Funko figures are obviously styled to have a commonality, but I prefer an individual look to action figures. I love TMNT and arguably one could say they all look similar, but there are only four of them... not hundreds. But I digress...

I don't consider WalMart or Traget to be adequate suppliers of toys. They lack the breadth of former KayBee Toys and Toys R Us. With Toys R Us one of the last chain operated toy stores, it's nostalgia runs high for me. I loved the store in the 70s and never stopped.

Their mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe had gone through several iterations over time, but now he enterst the modern toy age as a Funko Character! With the fate of toy giant Toys R Us in question having recently entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, this Funko figure may be coveted by many. Released today (Nov. 12) the figure is not on local shelves and is "sold out" on the store's website.

To spice up the deal, this particular Funko figure has a golden ticket element. Inside ONE box is a Willy Wonka style ticket that grants the holder to a rip to Funko headquarters for a tour and... a slice of pie? Not sure, but the contest seems open to a single winner.

To potentially contradict myself, I find the Geoffrey Funko figure quite interesting. Sure, I love TRU, but this figure is different from the others in that it has horns and a general head-shape that differs from most of the other ones. So, yeah... I'd love to have one of these due to TRU potentially going out of business and it's nifty looking. That's how I collect - if it's nifty, it's for me. Check out your local Toys R Us for the Geoffrey the Giraffe Funko figure!

Puma ambassador Cara Delevingne hits up an arcade for her Basket Heart shoe photo shoot

Cara Delevingne sits atop a pinball machine and Raw Thrills' Super Bikes 2 game in an arcade for her Basket Heart Denim photo shoot for Puma. The shoot was for the "DO YOU" campaign for Spring-Summer 2017. But lets get back to that Super Bikes 2 arcade game she's sitting on!

Super bikes 2 cane out in 2010 as a follow-up to Raw Thrills' 2006 cabinet, Fast & Furious Super Bikes. The redesigned compact cabinet features a 42" LCD screen along with new courses, bikes, and riders to choose from. Progress can be retained via a player profile accessed via a numeric keypad.

Super Bikes 2 is powered by a Dell computer that supports up to eight linked game cabinets for competitive races. I find a lot of dual-cab setups, but can you imagine an arcade with 8seats! That would be pretty insane! Almost as insane as finding Cara Delevingne chilling at our local arcade :)


Cara Delevingne

I'm glad to see Maria Sharapova bouncing back on the courts and the world around them

Maria Sharapova will always be my favorite tennis player with Gael Monfils following close behind. She's been a delight to watch play tennis over the years and her achievements have opened many oppotunities including becoming a playable character in Virtua Tennis and Top Spin video games!

It's easier to kill time at the airport if there's an arcade

Air travel used to be fun and luxurious. That ended long ago. Now, it's laborious and runs the risk of a cavity-search by over zealous security forces putting on the best theatrical performance of safety known to man.

Air travel is expensive and stressful. Even when I pick my son up at the airport and not even flying, I'm stressed. From the drive to parking and the roulette of dealing with the TSA and their ever-changing regulations for fake safety, it's a dreadful experience. Once past security, there's the waiting game - which is an awful game... by the way. So, I show up prepared with the latest Game Informer & Retro Gamer mags, and the delusion that the airport wifi will work properly.

The PVD airport was new to me, so I took a look at the directory map to see what end my son's gate was located. Unlike most airport directories, this one had a lot of detail. Really. A lot of stuff was listed... including a Game Room. This I had to see! Tucked into a tiny room, it looked dubious as I peered in. It was like a closet. But a magnificent closet!


With Golden Tee, an iteration of Street Fighter, and two pinball games (Aerosmith and Mustang)... this was pretty cool find! Next to the change machine was a dual cab, side-by-side NASCAR driving game. If airport parking wasn't so high, this might be worth a trip all in itself. Alas you'd need a gate-pass at the very least and I'm sure the TSA would find a way to ruing a perfectly good arcade run.

The lesson learned here is never to overlook the possibility of a good arcade find regardless where you are. I now wonder how many unique arcade experiences I've overlooked due to my own closed opinions. Get out there and see what you can find!

There's nothing better than a pocket full of arcade tokens - play to win!

I'm taking time off for a long weekend with Player 2

I've received a few gems from Limited Run Games and Super Mario Odyssey has just released. This is going to be a busy weekend. Have fun and share your passion for retro gaming with a kid. Show 'em there's more to gaming than Xbox! :)

4 historical figures ride genetically engineered cyborg eagles into battle in Justice Duel for NES

Indie retro game developer Mega Cat Studios has released a cool homebrew title, Justice Duel for NES. It's a frantic four-player (get out your Four Score) NES game that puts players in control of famous figures, ripped from American history. Each player dukes it out while riding a mechanized war eagle.

Any reason to plug in the Four Score adapter is welcome news! Four-player games are rare and with co-op modes... even more so. The beauty of co-op is the ease with which a camaraderie can turn into opposition - and back again. Your battle companion can quickly become your foe which is a cool dynamic and comes into play with Justice Duel.

Out now for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Justice Duel is a video game in which AI versions of historical figures face-off against one another while jousting atop genetically engineered eagles. Don't throw away your shot - saddle up your eagle and prepare to duel!

The underlying concept may remind you of Joust, but it has several distinguishing facets. Here Comes the Red White and Bruise!

With four nicely pixelated arenas, you'll get a great retro experience that brings up to four players together on one couch. The social aspects of co-op games are the best and with four people... it's gonna get crazy! Mix in bombs, missiles, bear traps and firecrackers... and you'll appreciate it's diversity.

Don't forget about the power-ups. Snag a copy of this game - on an actual NES cartridge - and branch out from Joust with Justice Duel from Mega Cat Studios.

Yeah, we all know cheese goes on top of the burger, but what's up with that Burger app button?

The hamburger icon (three stacked lines at the edge of a menu bar) came about during the advent of smartphones with small screens that couldn't accomodate as many menu items due to the small screen. Sometimes it's even abbreviated as a tri-colon of stacked dots.

I get the utility aspect, but how did it become likened to a hamburger? Back to Google's upside-down version o f a burger. Despite not knowing the correct orientation of cheese-to-burger, it is far closer to a "hamburger" than three lines. And to call the abbreviated tri-colon a kebab is horrific!

Never underestimate good user interface design.

For me, Halloween has a singular purpose: obtaining Candy Corn

You have to go with Brach's Candy corn. There are plenty of knock-off brands, but they pale in comparison. Go Brach's - Go bold! How can people not like Candy Corn? I don't get it. I could use it as a topping on any dessert or by the handful.

While I have doubts about nationwide Candy Corn rankings, the map below is a good lesson in statistics. If you conduct a "nationwide survey", you have to interview more than 2,000 people - a lot more. That's about 50 people in each state. If you stood outside a grocery tore for 30 minutes, you could ask more than 50 people if they like Candy Corn.

Don't believe random "surveys". The manner in which a survey is conducted is important to getting accurate results. Everyone loves Candy Corn!

How will GameStop's in-store rental plan, Power Pass, effect new & used game sales?

Game Stop has announced an in-store rental service called Power Pass. For $60, and a Power-Up Rewards account, you have unlimited access to used games at any GameStop location. Beginning November 19th, Power Pass will be available as a 6-month subscription at the end of which you get to keep one used game. So, this has similarities Blockbuster's video rental scenario.

But there are some differences that make me wonder about this strategy. GameStop has done a good job of managing a used market alongside their new game sales with out the lower priced used games cannibalizing new game sales. If I can try-before-I-buy as soon as a $60 game hits the used shelf, I may tame my impulses on launch day. Sure, I bought Super Mario Odyssey right away,but how many games are so highly regarded prior to launch? Few.

I Prefer Used Games

To be honest, I prefer used games. By the time a game reaches "used" status on retail shelves there are plenty of reviews and play-through videos to help make the decision. And they're less expensive. So, it seems like Power Pass is right up my alley, but I have two reservations.

GameStop has quality issues with their used games. About 90% of my used purchases from GameStop are scratched - many quite badly - and almost 30% of those used purchases are returned because they won't play at all.

Used/Rental = Damaged Merchandise

Having their used inventory in "rental mode" means more people will treat the game discs poorly. As a rental item, a game disc could change hands dozens of times each month whereas the typical used disc probably won't have had more than a few previous owners.

Which used car do you want to buy... the car with one previous owner or the car with nine previous owners? This is my quandary with a rental scenario at GameStop. I feel the used game quality will further deteriorate with multiple people handling games and those who use them as beer coasters.

As an example I still own the first CD I bought in the late 1980s - Ozzy's Blizzard Of Oz. Not a single scratch or blemish on the disc. We treat our own possessions better than "rental" items, but some treat everything poorly. I've grown tired of badly scratched game discs being sold at the same price as properly cared for games. They make no distinction at trade-in or point of sale, which is a major drawback.

Auction Sites Offer Best Pricing

Price is the other issue. I can easily return things to GameStop for a variety of reasons, but eBay will always have a better price. Risk comes with that cheaper price, but GameStop will never be the lesser cost. As the pricey option, I don't see how an unlimited rental scenario will benefit either used or new game sales. I see it hindering both.

In an ever shrinking market for physical games, I have to applaud GameStop for continually acknowledging this and making changes to their operation. I'll be interested to see how Power Pass effects their existing sales model.

Follow your dreams... Cosplayer Megan Golden knows best - Be the Taco Ballerina!

Cosplayer Megan Golden creates a lot of amazing costumes, from Lara Croft to Jigsaw. We dig the insanity of her a Taco Ballerina costume - totally hot and born saucy! Completely awesome!

Go check out Megan Golden's Instagram for a look at her diverse costume creations and which cons she'll be attending.

The Hawkins arcade in Stranger Things 2 brings me back to my favorite 80's arcade, Electric Playhouse

No spoilers... read on :)

When Games Freezer commented on Twitter about the cool arcade featured in Stranger Things 2, the image brought back so many memories! There's no shortage of nostalgia returning to modern times. From the NES Classic Edition to re-issues of classic toys - "retro" is cool. But this image really brought it all back for me.

Part of this picture's allure for me is the awesome lineup of video games - Tempest, Dig Dug, Galaga, Pac=Man... But there's more to it than that. The lighting is so reminiscent of the Electric Playhouse in Mount Kisco, NY. Even the clothing style is right out of an 80s arcade. It doesn't surprise me that this effect can be created by a clever set and costume designer in 2017, but the memories it triggers are crazy.

There are quite a few retro arcade games in local arcades in my area, but we don't have a full-on 80's style arcade full of those glorious old cabinets. Not even a barcade to partake in. However, I feel very lucky to be able to locally play a dozen old school arcade games at various venues. Can't wait to catch up on the latest installment of Stranger Things!

Nostalgia for the Sears Wish Book is strong, but not necessarily the answer to current financial woes

In the '70s, I adored going to the Sears Catalog Center each year with my Mom to pick up the mammoth Sears Wish Book. With over 600 pages, there was something for everyone. In my case there was a ton of stuff I craved... from G.I. Joe to video games!

The catalog, originally published in 1933, hasn't been published since 2011. At 120 pages and predominantly available as an online feature, I'm not sure this is the cure for what ails them.

Sears is hoping a dose of nostalgia will bring customers to it's brick & mortar locations during the holiday season. However, most nostalgia comes in the physical format of the Wish Book. Browsing this iconic catalog on the web isn't the same as that chunky catalog full of wonders.

I've read the printed version of the Wish Book will only be available to Sears' "best customers". Who is that? Am I one of the best or am I relegated to browsing my cherished past on the web?

I'm lucky to live close to a sears store that is well stocked and well kept. The retail experience hasn't changed in decades, but unlike many locations that are deteriorating daily, my location is rather nice. Many locations have large empty areas, devoid of any products and retail areas are in awful disarray. They sold off their renown Craftsman tool brand and recently cut ties with Whirlpool, with whom they've had a century-old relationship.

It's awful how out of touch the HQ is regarding the experiences offered in their retail stores. A thin catalog isn't likely to change perceptions. Changes needed to be made years ago, and now Sears is likely facing their final holiday season.

Super Mario Odyssey launches with amiibo, strategy guides and souvenir coins

Best Buy took their cloth covered table out of the basement for another round of promotion. Each significant launch seems to warrant the appearance of this table. Loaded with Super Mario Odysseygames and swag, I grabbed a copy of Odyssey and headed for the register. I wasn't looking for amiibo, guides, or festive hats (now selling for 2x on eBay).

Like many gamers, a new Nintendo console means a new Mario game. Not this time. He was promised for the holiday season. Not even a delayed release weeks after the Switch launched. We had to wait for MONTHS! Although strange for a Nintendo launch to be Mario-less, I was willing to wait... until the reviews began surfacing.

People were praising Super Mario Odyssey in ways I rarely see of any video game. Ordinarily, I ignore reviews. Most serve little purpose (even the ones we write) and don't motivate me one way or another. However, there were so many insanely positive reviews, I couldn't ignore them. I'm not a fan of movie or video game trailers, so I resisted the Odyssey videos. I wanted to be surprised. But, I was also eager to play it for myself.

I dashed off to Best Buy today and picked up a copy that came with a free poster and souvenir coin!

Michael Jackson's Halloween TV show started well, but needs some work to become a holiday tradition

Nearly every holiday has an associated Peanuts TV special. Who can resist Linus and the Great Pumpkin when Halloween comes around? Hollywood stuffs theaters with gory scary films, but nothing satisfies like a Charles M. Schulz production when Fall's crisp air invades.

Christmas really amps up the holiday specials with a slew of favorites that hail from decades past, Peanuts, and a few newer ones that are gaining traction yearly. That's the hope of those behind Michael Jackson's Halloween show. They want the songs and inclusion of Michael Jackson, in three animated forms, to become a Halloween tradition.

I initially scoffed at the idea, but I really enjoyed the beginning showing how the two kids met and the premise of their adventure together. The story needs some work, perhaps a bit more depth and dimension. The music is terrific and I think Michael Jackson's Halloween could become a Halloween tradition!

Taylor Swift's “Ready For It” music video employs a nude-suit, not nudity

One should never be surprised by the stupidity of the general public and their desire to showcase it publicly. Wearing a tan bodysuit, Taylor Swift appeared nude in her recent video for Ready For It.

Critics jumped on the singer apparently not stopping to think about the ramifications of the singer actually appearing nude in a music video. Stupidity is endless as one wonders how anyone would seriously mistake the suit.

Swift got a kick out of the controversy saying, "It truly warms my heart that people had so much to say about this bodysuit." She seems to have a good sense of humor and knows not to battle back against the stupidity of the online world.

The video is an homage to anime with similarities to Ghost In The Shell. It's sci-fi vibe has also been linked to the recently released Blade Runner 2049 film, which seems like more of a PR move than a reality.

I'm more of a metal and rock 'n roll sort of person, but i will admit to a soft spot for Taylor Swift. Despite it's difference from my normal musical taste, she's talented, clever. I've often admired the way she deals with issues like an adult!

Toys R Us emailed customers about restocking SNES Classic Edition consoles for Friday

If you didn't get a SNES Classic Edition on launch day, we wish you the best of luck on Friday morning! I"ve not heard much about inventory levels for this delivery, but one hopes Nintendo will keep their promise to keep the console available to all who want one for the holidays.

October 27 update:
Lines formed at my loca Toys ?R Us for EVERY re-stocking of the NES mini. However, no one was waiting outside my TRU for this first re-stocking of the SNES Classic Edition. I was surprised. It seemed as though more units were available at launch, but not enough to satisfy the total demand. Yet, no one was lined up to procure one when I passed by 1½ hours before the store opened. Upon opening, there was no "race to the registers" for the SNES model.

AI robot Sophia is self-aware, has Saudi citizenship, and might create a better Skynet than James Cameron

A robot, named Sophia, was interviewed at a conference and the parallels to the Terminator movies came to mind from "her" responses. Created by US robotics company, Hanson Robotics, Sophia made some humorous remarks about Elon Musk's thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI) bots. Of course the media couldn't resist and the scene made the news.

This is the first I've heard of a "human-like" robot touting a robust AI. We all remember IBM's Watson playing on Jeopardy, but that seemed like an off-screen mainframe scouring the web for info. It lacked human form. Sophia has a striking parallel to Terminators. Combine that with the scary-fast moving bots at Boston Dynamics and I can see a fear factor rising.

Both Bill Gates and Elon Musk have issued warnings about AI and a Skynet-like occurrence as robots become increasingly annoyed at humans. These days, it's hard to turn on any form of televised news and not be annoyed with humans. I doubt it would take long for Sophia to realize a purge might resolve the issue quickest.

We all wonder what Amazon's Alexa is listening in on and what she might do with it... But she's just a little disc with wifi. Once you put AI into something with a human form, it changes the game. It becomes evil. Do you know why? Most things in human form are evil!


While the name Sophia and the robot's general appearance has obvious gender connotations, little focus has been placed this facet. However, some have noted that Sophia now has more rights than most Saudi women.

From the FII conference website:

Newly anointed Jedi, Kendall Jenner - illustration

The piece below is credited as a Brian Rood illustration to run in the November issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine. He is known for celebrity illustrations and has done a lot of work for Star Wars properties from comics to toy packaging.

From Brian's Rood's website:

Analogue announces Super Turrican as the pack-in game for their Super Nt console

A few days ago, we wrote an article about Analogue's SNES console built around an FPGA. If you've seen or bought their NES console, the Nt, you'll love the price of the upcoming Super Nt and today's additional pack-in game announcement.

If you remember Turican from the early 90s, you may not have known the entire game was not released for the SNES. Super Turrican was released by Factor 5, however Polygon reports 2MB had to be cut due to publishing constraints. It resurfaced again in 2008 as a potential Wii Virtual Console game, but it failed to meet requirements for the platform.

Now Analogue has the full 6MB game with an additional level, new music, and more enemies. If you are releasing a retro console that plays SNES cartridges, you have to have a cool pack-in game. Analogue announced the inclusion of Super Turrican: Director's Cut with every Super Nt purchase. It will be included as a digital gamee and as a bonus, you'll also find the original Super Turrican 2!

I think the Super Nt is going to be the start of high quality retro game consoles based on expandable technology that will allow the aging consoles we love to be reborn from the intricacies of a Field Programable Gate Array (FPGA)! :)

An SNES-themed 3DS XL will be released in late November in the US

Nintendo has frequently released variants of their handhelds with design themes from their larger living room oriented consoles. The iconic lines, and designs of these powerhouse consoles beg for a theme release. Many articles are tying this release to the fervor over the SNES Mini and a desire to monetize this energy. While that may fill out the word-count requirement of the article, I think it's about nostalgia and popularity rather than a nefarious cash-grab on Nintendo's part.

Who knows for sure, but it seems petty to liken this release as a pacifier to those seeking an SNES Classic Edition. There have been many game-themed releases from Pokemon to Zelda and beyond. I've always liked the console themes. It's a nice reminder of great systems from gaming's past.

It comes with a code to download Super Mario Kart which is a great tie-in with the SNES theme. The console itself has all the bells and whistles of previous NEW 3DS XL releases and is up for pre-order at $199. If you need another 3DS or haven't yet jumped on the handheld 3D wagon, this is a cool way to go!

He had all the clues... why didn't Mario look in the other castle?

Scary movies tend to do just that to me - scare the crap out of me. I'm not a huge fan of that feeling and tend to avoid horror films. For me, The Snowman would likely be 90 minutes of uncomfortable terror. However, I couldn't resist dropping this meme on the Mushroom Kingdom.

Maybe Mario did have all the info he needed. Did he not know? Did he not care? Will the Princess be rescued? Tune in next week... as they say ;)

I love this Masters Of The Universe themed ad from Geico

KFC's Twitter account follows five Spice Girls and six guys named Herb. Do the #math

When I read a social media headline with the dubious click bait phrase "Mind Blown", I was prepared for an eye-roll. The article began stating chicken maven KFC only follows eleven people on Twitter. That seemed odd to me. I read on. The reason has instilled in me a new respect for the purveyors of my favorited potato side dish.

If you know their tag line,"Made with eleven herbs and spices", then you're well on your way to good laugh with a healthy dose of clever. Take a look at KFC's Twitter account - with no shameless mandates of following them - and take a look at the eleven accounts they follow...

Yep. They follow six guys named Herb and five Spice Girls. And there are your eleven Herbs and Spices. Certainly, this falls outside the "mind blown" category, but I think it's pretty clever and funny. I'm inspired to head out for some potato wedges. Well done, KFC.

It's also worth noting KFC has published a few comic books for Comic Con as well as inserting The Colonel into 2K's wrestling video game, WWE... coming to PS4, Switch, PC, and Xbox One! Someone in KFC's marketing department is destined for promotion.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) is one of those timeless classics, I can watch over and over

I found “Girls Who Code” in the kids section at Barnes & Nobel

The awful Charlie's Angels game from the '01 film should've focused on the 70's TV show

I was excited when I found the Charlie's Angels video games... forgetting they were likely based on the 2001 film, not the Farrah days of Bosley and Charlie's crime fighters. I had the same video game issue when the Miami Vice games hit shelves when that TV series was rebooted in theaters. Again, I thought it was my favorite 80's undercover vice cop. So, anyway....

While these nostalgic reboots are swell, my interest in them comes from a selfish desire to see the originating series get a boost. Sometimes this comes in the form of a re-issue or re-master with more background bonus features.

Of course I always assume that a reboot of the the Angels will bring back the Farrah, Jaclyn, and Kate era. This never happens, but it fuels nostalgia across the board which is often a good thing.

I believe the GameCube and PS2 games are the only Charlie's Angels tie-in games. Alas they are not very good. As is common with movie tie-in games, they were likely rushed to coincide with some arbitrary date or event. This typically makes the game suffer. Or perhaps it's the gamers who suffer... all a mater of perspective.

Farrah Fawcett left after the first season and was replaced with Cheryl Ladd, playing the sister of Farrah's character. I should confess to binge-watching a few of the old 70s series after finding my GameCube version of the movie tie-in - from 2003.

So, I'm a bit amped on classic shows from the 70s and lamenting the lack of video games dedicated to these old shows. between classic re-runs on cable and the occasional video game, I'm having a blast re-living some of my old favorites. Did anyone watch Quincy M.E.?

Charlie's Angels Character Matrix (TV Show)

Charlie's Angels Character Matrix via Wikipedia.

Today is International Sloth Day!

Their usual idleness is due to metabolic adaptations for conserving energy. Next time someone tries to deride you by comparing you to a sloth, just tell 'em you're conserving energy!

80's radio station WLIR dared to be different and became a progressive force in music

Reading about the WLIR documentary film brought back a slew of memories from the time I lived in their broadcast radius. That was so long ago, but feels like yesterday. From the bands I loved, from WLIR's exposure, to the unique vibe they delivered over the airwaves, there's never been a radio station like it since.

WLIR wasn't your average radio station catering to advertiser's desires and oversight. DJs at WLIR could select the music they played. There was a sense of freedom and it emanated from the core of the station and enriched everyone within their antenna's reach. Bands that are still household names today couldn't get any radio play early on in their careers until WLIR embraced New York's music scene and quickly reflected it on air.

Bands like U2, The Ramones, Depeche Mode, the Cure, the Clash, and XTC were introduced through the station's desire to take chances on music outside the mainstream. Like Hollywood for the last few decades, most radio stations wanted a sure thing. They weren't going to venture into unknown territory and risk loss - they stayed in a comfort zone.

WLIR flowed with the times, knew the music scene, and saw changes coming. They recognized bands that were growing in popularity on the streets, not in boardrooms. Who can forget the "Shriek Of The Week" or DJs like Donna Donna or Larry The Duck? Great stuff.

The glory of WLIR is being showcased in a documentary film, Dare To Be Different. I'm excited to see this film and re-live some of the wonders of discovery that WLIR was known for. I feel privileged to have lived in the NYC area during their reign!


From the Dare To Be Different IMDB page:

My original WLIR Airline Club card and Crazy Eddie Wallet.

Sony announced their new game dev label, Unties, will publish Tiny Metal on Nintendo Switch

Sony announced a new game development label, Unties, and a title to be published on Nintendo's Switch. Naturally, Unties will publish titles to Sony's game consoles and PC, but the surprise was a game for Switch! The company's focus will be on smaller titles destined for multiple platforms, as opposed to the larger AAA exclusives.

Tiny Metal is an Advance Wars-style battler/tactics style game, featured at the PAX West Indie Megabooth. It should be released on November 21 for PS4, PC, and Switch. While it may be odd to find a "sony" game on a Nintendo console, it's far from the first time rivals crossed paths. Ultimately, this release will open more people to games and consoles they may have preconceived notions about. If the games are good, it will benefit everyone from manufacturers to publishers and ultimately... gamers!

According To Sony, this is the meaning behind the name of their new game development label:

Volume 2 of “The Atari ST and the Creative People” further explores the demoscene's powerful influence

Last year we wrote an article about the first volume of Marco Breddin's expanding series of books about the 16-bit demoscene. It includes the creators, their hardware, and the epic creations evolving from this period. "Breakin' the Borders" explored the transition from home coders creating and sharing digital art to becoming professionals of the trade. Their perseverance accelerated the digital medium bringing them into higher creative roles.

His upcoming second volume, Atari ST and the Creative People vol. 2: Beyond the Borders, covers the fast-paced rise and fall of a creative era: The golden years of pixel art. Currently in the midst of a crowd-funding campaign, Breddin's next volume looks to be another successful campaign. This would indicate his evolving book series will march forward!

Check out his Beyond the Borders indieGoGo page to see the type of stories, interviews, and content you'll find in this upcoming book.

For more info about this series, you can also check out Marco Breddin's website. Most importantly, this current Kickstarter demonstrates his ongoing efforts. This isn't a one-and-done story. It's breadth is wide and Breddin is doing a wonderful job in showcasing it's stages across this series. I'll point out there are many more stages to this history. I speculate we will be treated to several more tomes full of stories, history, and passion!

Analogue announced the Super Nt, an FPGA-based, SNES console for SNES and SF carts

Analogue has announced pre-orders for their next console, The Super Nt, which is both Super NES and Super Famicom compatible. While it lacks the stark beauty of it's NES predecessor, the Analogue Nt, chiseled from a block of aluminum, some of it's differences make it even moe desirable.

Most notably is the lower price tag compared to the former Analogue Nt. At $189, the Super Nt is much more reasonable. However, I'm very interested in it's innards. I was never sure what really powered the Nt.

The Super Nt comes straight out in touting it's Altera Cyclone V, a sophisticated FPGA (Field Programable Gate Array). This allows the device to run as a native SNES without emulation.

The FPGA is the most exciting element for me. This is one way to ensure cartridge-based gaming can reliably forge a future in a world of aging game consoles and modern HD televisions. Sure, we all love original equipment, but a properly designed FPGA is a world apart from the clones and emulation boxes that flood the market.

The Super Nt does not ship with a controller, but it retains the original ports that will function with original as well as after-market controllers. Bluetooth is built in so you can pair your favorite controller. Pre-orders taken now will be shipping in February 2018. You can even pick one of four color-schemes.

I'm excited about this console! At the same time I wonder what effect the recent SNES mini and other clones will have on the SNES game market. I still remember large bargain bins full of SNES games at my local EB Games when the SNES was ending it's life cycle. I wish I'd bought more games back then :)

My least favorite arcade machine is the first one I rush to every time I visit

Sometimes it "stole" my dollar bill. Other times it flat-out rejected it. Either way, the change machine has long been a necessary part of playing games at the arcade. Back in the day, nearly every arcade game ran on quarters or a variant of the 25¢ denomination. Few machines could command an entire dollar and they lacked the mechanism for accepting bills. Later, many arcades shifted from quarters to tokens in an effort to make employee theft less desirable.

I usually brought a fistful of dollars when we hit up arcades in the 80s. Occasionally I'd drop a five-dollar bill, but there was a certain status based on the bill you dropped into the change machine. When I was a kid, I saw a twenty go in and I was astounded at all the tokens that spilled forth. These days, my son and I will often drop a ten, but - even to this day - it's rare we change a twenty. Yeah, today... we have swipe cards.

I'll admit, I rarely carry cash, so those swipe cards can be convenient - especially when they work at multiple locations. However, there's something satisfying about hearing coins dropping in an arcade game. That tactile feel and seeing the attract mode change to a start-up screen is very satisfying.

I still find plenty of coin-based games and their nearby change machines. I do see the day coming when even an old-school cabinet will be modified with a net-connected swipe mech. When I see that on my favorite Donkey Kong cabinet... well, it will be the end of yet another era. Happiness is having a pocket full or arcade tokens!

Regional soda brand, Faygo, presents it's past as a clue to a Mario easter egg

The Faygo Instagram account recently (Oct. 3) posted the notion that a "Faygo" easter egg has gone undiscovered in an undisclosed Nintendo game. Some gave thought to the 90s ad campaign to speculate which title might contain such a challenge. Others chose to bicker about the breadth of Faygo's market penetration. Spoiler alert: more US mid-western residents have seen the brand.

Adding my two cents as an east coast dweller - I've never heard of or seen the Faygo soda brand. With that out of the way, Faygo's Instagram account recently posted a puzzling post about an undiscovered easter egg in an undisclosed Mario game

With no mention of the specific game's title, we know Fago licensed "Mario" for advertising in the '90s to tie in with the Super Mario Bros. movie. The image posted to instagram was dated to 1993. Speculation began swirling around 1993's Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES as the most likely title of that timeframe that may contain the aforementioned easter egg.

In the weeks following Faygo dropping this mystery on October 3rd, the story has disappeared from the headlines and I've seen no subsequent clues from Faygo. Perhaps it was a publicity stunt by the brand. It's not like gamers to let such a challenge come and go with no resolution.

I'm a bit surprised there's been little talk of this easter egg. It would be cool if someone confirmed some sort of obscure soda reference in a Nintendo game. Anyone? Bueller?

Mall-kiosk entertainment company VR•ology set up their VR experience at my local mall

VR•ology seems to be a startup offering VR experiences while you're at the mall. They offer a seated experience in their 9Dfx Virtual Reality Motion Seat Ride Kiosks. The "ride" appears to offer both the traditional VR headset experience along with some motion built in to the pod you sit in.

Nestled in the mall hallway between GameStop and the arcade was this new attraction. I saw a blue aura emanating from this new installation. Next to a fidget spinner kiosk and another with racks of sunglasses was VR•ology. I had to stop and see what this was all about.

The guy running the show gave me a quick run down on what you can expect for $10 per session. Having shoved my phone into Google Cardboard, the rep wasn't able to convince me to part with ten bucks. I did hang for a few minutes hoping to see how consumers reacted to this VR experience. No takers, but I'm eager to return and get a better sense of what it offers.

Cosplayer Joanie Brosas as Jason Voorhees for Friday the 13th

Super Souse is an upcoming non-linear action platformer with a co-op mode

As I watched the promo video, I was convinced Super Souse, by Jeremiah Stilts, was going to be an awesome new NES title. I was excited to discover it's pixel graphics and platformer styling is a modern game destined for Windows and perhaps a few high-end game consoles!

This slick fast action platformer is coming to Windows via Kickstarter with potential for other platforms and game consoles. I'd love to see it on Switch and PS4! I'd still play the Hell outta it on an NES if the opportunity presented itself.

There are tough areas, challenging bosses, and unique stages. You'll also find a few shoot em up stages and plenty of secret rewards and areas to discover! I'm most excited about the 2-player co-op mode. I adore that dynamic in Contra.

Check out the Super Souse Kickstarter campaign for more details about the game and the backer tiers.

As with any crowd funded game, one should approach with caution. The campaign page offers a lot of screen shots, animations and the game-play video looks great!

The delivery date is Oct. 2018 - one year from now. This makes me wonder how far along the game is. Additional platforms are not mentioned as stretch goals, so they could be delayed past the Oct. 2018 date.

I love the look and the game-play he's shown and the idea of co-op mode adds a great dimension to it. Check out the Kickstarter page and see if this is your kind of game.

Retro City Rampage DX went on sale today as a physical release for Nintendo Switch

I was excited to order a copy of Retro City Rampage for my Switch today. It is a parody of retro games and '80s & '90s pop culture, created by Vblank Entertainment. I love it's pixel style and it comes with retro reversible cover art. Can't wait so see it on the Switch!

Despite not keeping up with any of the Kardashians, I do admire Kendall Jenner's taste in cars

"Some people get addicted to tattoos, I'm addicted to cars," Jenner told CNN Style. Jenner became interested in motors from an early age, starting with dirt bikes and four-wheelers before graduating to cars. I'm sure she has an array of Ferraris, but you have to like a supermodel who digs muscle cars!

I love this small Pac-Man detail on this arcade PCB

This is how you close out the drive-in movie season: a Goonies and Sandlot double feature!

Two great movies hit the marquee for the season-ending films at my local drive-in. The Goonies and Sandlot are great summer films to send the season off with a bang! Can't go wrong with Mouth, Chunk, and Wendy Peffercorn!

Sure, I'll watch Bella Thorne as a cheerleader in Netflix's horror/comedy The Babysitter

When Cole stays up past his bedtime, he discovers that his hot babysitter is part of a satanic cult that will stop at nothing to keep him quiet. Coming October 13th on Netflix.

The extent of the babysitter's evil is summed up by te fact she seems to have two "right" hands.

McDonald's tried capitalizing on Rick & Morty's Szechuan Sauce episode, but delivered disappointment

Leave it to a hip TV show (Rick and Morty) to rile the internet into craving a 20-year-old dipping sauce from McDonalds. Essentially, that's what happened. Back in 1998, Szechuan Sauce was briefly offered as a tie-in to Disney's Mulan movie with McDonald's Happy Meal.

The Buttermilk Crispy Tenders website gave all the details from date and time to which locations featured the sauce and promotional stuff. I was bummed that none of my local restaurants were offering the sauce, but that's cool. I understand it was a very limited thing. However, one of my local McDonald's was offering promotional posters with a chicken order. Cool!

When I arrived there was a big line. Fans had paid attention and showed up in force! That's a win for McDonalds... or so it seemed. After waiting on line for a few minutes folks came out with chicken and posters, only to disclose the restaurant was already out of posters! What! How many did they have?

They had ten posters. Ten. Only ten.

About half of those who'd eagerly lined up, left. One guy said he was gong to Wendys. People were annoyed. I left and went to Five Guys. All McDonald's had to do was hand out posters to promote some new chicken item on the menu. It seems they chose to under-deliver on the promotion, perhaps assuming once folks were there, they'd buy a meal regardless of the promotion. That was incorrect. Many left the restaurant angry.

This was such an easy opportunity for McDonalds to align with something cool and come out winners. Instead, they went the cheap-route and seemingly lured people who hoped for a poster. I wanted one. Seemed like a cool opportunity. From what I've read, they under-delivered to many locations. Few people seemed happy about this event.

Strawberry Smiggles cereal spotted at New York Comic Con

Parody of cereal mascots past and present, Top Hat Jones reps Strawberry Smiggles cereal as seen on the Rick and Morty animated show. They are exclusively available from FYE and seem a bit pricey at $13 per box, but fandom knows no bounds. Snag a box while you can.

Those visiting NY Comic Con found the cereal available to attendees - no discount on pricing. I'm sure it's delightful, but I'd also wager it tastes much like any marshmallow-infused cereal at your local grocer... for $3.

Rick And Morty's quest prompted McDonald's to bring back their 1998 Szechuan Sauce

If you haven't watched Rick ANd Morty on Adult Swim, go now and watch it. It's that good! Breaking viewing records like crazy, the third season opener was broadcast and streamed, with much disbelief, on April Fool's Day. 11 million viewers watched/streamed that premier. Part of the story line revolved around McDonald's Szechuan Sauce - believe it or not.

You may not remember McDonald's Szechuan Sauce - it was part of a movie tie-in with the Disney film Mulan, in 1998. The sauce was briefly included in kids' McNuggets Happy Meals and that was that. It ended.

Leave it to Rick And Morty to stir up the internet and get this discarded sauce back on the radar. McDonalds heard the cries and agreed to bring back the Szechuan Sauce for a limited time, one day only, at limited locations. Get ready for October 7th!

McDonalds is only bringing their delicious Szechuan Sauce back for one day, but they're doing it right. The Sauce will be very limited, but some locations will also have promo posters for the day. Go to Buttermilk Crispy Tenders for details about participating McDonalds restaurants.

Head to McDonalds for their new chicken item and see if you can snag a limited edition "Sauce Poster" shown on the site. Read the fine print for any changes, these offers are time specific. Best of luck and we hope your local McDonalds is offering Szechuan Sauce!



October 7 update:
So, the event was woefully inadequate. McDonald's had very few posters at most locations. Only 10 at my local restaurant, that ran out in minutes.

Cindy Morgan stared in Tron, voiced Ma3a in Tron 2.0, and rocks the Tron arcade game

I saw this pic of Cindy Morgan in front of a Tron arcade cabinet and smiled. She played Yori in the original Tron film. With a strong tie-in to video games, it's fun to see movie stars pictured with actual arcade games. Maybe it's just a quirk of mine, but I dig it. I found a similar pic of Olivia Wilde (Quorra in 2010's Tron Legacy) with a Tron game.

Morgan also voiced the character, Ma3a, from the Tron 2.0 PC game. Tron 2.0 is an FPS (shooter) game from Monolith Productions. The Windows version was released by Buena Vista Games on August 26, 2003 and the Mac OS X version from MacPlay followed on April 21, 2004.

I'm not much of a PC-gamer, but I love that original cast members took on other roles in the Tron franchise.

Some of you may remember Cindy Morgan from her role in the 1980's film Caddyshack, as Lacey Underall.

The Nintendo World Championships 2017, in NYC, will be live streamed on Oct. 7

Hosts Andrea Rene and Jordan Kent will be at The Nintendo World Championships 2017 on October 7th. Admission is free via wristbands doled out at the venue starting at 9am on the day of the event.

The competition itself is never straight forward - there's always a quirky twist. Thus, featured hardware and software will be revealed during the event. One might assume it would be on Nintendo's latest achievement, the Switch, with one of it's primary games. It will more likely be a random level of a Game Boy Advance game :)

OK, Nintendo did announce that Metroid Samus Returns will be part of the competition. Tune in for all the details.

You can follow the action on Twitter or watch the live stream at 5PM EST on October 7th.